Kitten: Friend or Foe
by Moxie19
Summary: Mrs. Yagami: "By the way, how could such an innocent creature do anything but good." Tai: "Yeah sure. Innocient. More like fluffy feigned from hell. He's Satan's cat!" This is about when the Yagami's got their cat, Miko.


            Kari's seven years old and Tai's ten years old. 

Kitten: Friend or Foe 

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            "Hello Kitty."  Kari said as she knelt down beside the kitten that stood in the cage at the pet store.  The small orange cat was covered in long fluffy fur and was pressing it's self as close to Kari as she could.

            Kari stuck her small fingers into the cage to pet the ankle high kitten.  "Let me see!"  Tai said as he ran to the cage Kari knelt beside.  The cat turned its head to look at the overly excited boy and hissed at him as it took a few steps back.  

            "Tai, you're scaring him."  Tai and Kari's mom was saying.

            "I think it's a girl."  Kari said as she pet the kitten again.  

            "No.  It's a boy!"  The kitten hissed again, hearing Tai's loud voice booming in its sensitive ears.  Kari just rolled her eyes.  

            "May I help you?"  A woman with dark hair and glasses walked up to them and smiled.

            "Yes.  We want to buy a cat.  Is this one all right?  I mean… well.  I've never had to buy a pet before and I just want to make sure we're going to make the right choice."  Mrs. Yagami stammered.  

            "OK.  Well, are you interested in this one?"  She pointed to the small orange cat that Tai and Kari were amusing them selves with.  

            "It appears my kids are."  

            "That cat is a good choice.  One of my personal favorites.  She's already had her shots…"

            "See Tai.  'She'.  It's a girl."  Kari said, over-listening the conversation.  

            "Yeah, whatever."  Tai responded dully.  

            "… She has her papers.  She's been dipped, it'll prevent her from getting fleas, and she's has her chip."  The woman finishes, matter-of-factly.

            "Paper's… chip?"  Mrs. Yagami asks.

            "Papers are a written file of this cat giving in all the information that is needed and a chip is like one of those in a computer.  People insert the chip under the skin of an animal.  It's their identification."

            "Does it hurt them?"  Concern creased the features of Tai's mother's face.

            "Why no.  They don't feel a thing."  

            "O…K."  Suddenly a question popped into Mrs. Yagami's head.  "Would I have to teach her to use a litter box?"

            "No.  They have been already taught.  In fact, I own a house.  An actual house and my cat likes going outside, though I don't let mine out too often, when I do it'll come back inside just to use the litter box before asking to go back out."  The women chuckled at this.   

            "Alright!  How much does she cost?"

            "One hundred ninety-eight."  The woman said as she locked her hands together in front of herself.  

            Mrs. Yagami eyes widened.  "That's a lot."  

            "I know but if a family _really_ wants a cat then they will pay that price.  It's a way to make sure the animal will be going to a nice home.  In fact the dogs cost as much as a couple thousand."  

            "Hey kitty.  This is your new home."  Kari then opened the door and showed the cat in.  Kari had been holding it for the ride home because her mom was driving and every time Tai tried to hold it the cat would hiss or scratch him.  

            Kari walked into the apartment, smelling the satisfying smell of her father's cooking.  _Thank god Dad can cook._  Kari thought.  Tai walked in after Kari, sulking.  

            "We're home, dear."  The mother announced as she closed the door after entering.  Her husband appeared from the kitchen.  

            "I'm cooking supper for us tonight."  

            Mrs. Yagami sniffed the air.  "Smells weird."  She commented.

            "That's because it's not burnt."  He says with a smile.  She shrugged and walked over to him to give him a quick kiss.   After the kiss he looked at his kids who were walking into the kitchen.  

            "Daddy.  Look."  Kari said as she held up the small kitten.  It let out a small meow and looked at the new face with round, night-blue eyes.  

            "Well isn't she adorable.  Is it a 'she'?"  Kari nodded.  She then handed the cat over to her father who took her and looked into the kitten's eyes.  "She's beautiful."  He commented.  It meowed again then hissed.  Three sets of eyes looked towards Tai as he walked up.  

            "What?"  He asked as he took a bite out of the apple he had got from the fridge.   

            "Kitty doesn't like you much."  Kari said innocently.  

            "What are you talking about?  He likes me just fine."

            "She."  Kari corrected.  

            "Let me see."  Tai said, rising up his arms to grab the kitten.  The cat hissed and started to go frantic trying to get away.  

            "Ouch!"  Mr. Yagami shouted as he was scratched then dropped the cat, who landed gracefully on it's feet and shot off running through the house until it hid behind the couch.  

            Tai dropped his apple and ran after the cat and jumped over the couch to get it.  The cat, seeing Tai appear overhead, ran towards Kari's and Tai's bedroom and under Tai's bed leaving Tai laying half on the couch and half on the floor.  

            "Oh Tai.  You ok?"  His mom asked.  Just as the words left her mouth Tai fell the rest of the way off the couch.  

            "Ow."  He said.  

            Tai was in a peaceful slumber, dreaming of won soccer matches or new friends or whatever else Tai Yagami dreamt about when lights went out and eyes shut for the night, when an odd feeling awoke him.  At first he thought he was just dreaming and that the feeling at the end of his foot he did not feel.  But then as his mind reacted more to the world around him he realized that that odd feeling was real.  

            He opened his eyes with a groan and looked around in the dark of his room.  He saw the clock that read two zero four and groaned at the forbidden hour.  He then realized that the bed was moving in the area of his right foot.  He sat his head up and looked down to see that darn kitten biting his foot through the blankets.  It's small mouth was barely able to bite his big toe, her paws trying to wrap around his ankle and her back legs moving over and over again across his leg as if trying to kick his leg away but not able to get a proper kick to do the job.  

            He moved his leg and repositioned himself on the bed so that he was lying on his side… but that didn't stop the kitten.  The kitten just tromped across the bed and over to his leg to start biting again.  

He growled at the irritation that the small fluffy thing was making for him and sat up to grab him.  The cat saw him sit up and started to run but this time it wasn't so fast.  Tai caught it and to his surprise the cat didn't hiss at him again.  He took the cat and dropped him outside the room then closed his door.  

He dragged his tired self back to bed and flopped down on the bed forgetting about the sheets.  His eyelids drooped again as sleep started to come on him.  He got more tired and more tired.  Relaxed further into his bed.  He felt as if he weighed a ton…

Scratch, scratch, scratch…   

The cat was at his door… scratching.  Asking to be let in again so he could continue to spoil the night of rest.  

Scratch, scratch, scratch… 

Tai rolled over and tried to ignore the small animal at his door preparing to get the rest he deserved…

            _Scratch!  Scratch!  Scratch!_

            The cat just got louder.  _That's it.  _Tai thought._  I'm putting that cat in the washroom and not letting it out until morning.  _

            _Scratch!  Scratch!  Scratch!_

Tai stood up from his bed walked to his door again where the cat was still scratching.  He yanked the door open and saw the cat turn and run, small paws making small beating sounds against the grey-carpeted floor.  Tai watched as the cat ran across the living room, turning when she hit the wall, behind then over the couch and then finally ducking into his parent's room.

Tai blinked twice before shrugging and heading back to bed closing the door behind him.  He crossed the floor to his bed and heard Kari's tired voice call out to him, "Tai, what was that noise?"

"Nothing Kari.  Just that cat."  Tai said as he lied down into his soft bed.  

"Tai?"

"Yeah."  Tai answered groggily, angry that he couldn't just go back to sleep.  

"I know what to call her… Miko."

"Miko?  Why?"  Kari shrugged though Tai couldn't see that. 

"Don't know.  Just like the name… Actually I dreamt of the name."  

"Okay."  Tai said then nothing more was said.  The silence of the room helped him calm his temper as he started to nod off.  He knew Kari was already asleep and was just about to sleep himself when…

_Scratch, scratch, scratch… _

Tai sat staring into his bowl of cereal.  He was tired.  Too tired to even eat.  The motion of moving a spoon from his bowl to his mouth seemed to hard a task for him.

"Tai, honey, what's wrong?"  Tai's mom asked from across the table.  

Tai slowly lifted his head to look at her.  "Couldn't sleep.  Darn cat."  He explained in a monotone voice.  

She sighed.  "Don't give me 'that cat kept me up'.  The cat looked scared to be around you yesterday.  By the way, how could such an innocent creature do anything but good?"  

Tai looked over at Miko and saw her, on her back, playing with a pretend mouse.  Her teeth were biting the head, paws wrapped around the toy keeping it near, as it's feet pushed at it with long claws, trying to tare it to bits.  "Yeah, sure.  Innocent."  Tai said sarcastically.  "More like the fluffy fiend from hell.  It's Satan's cat!"  

"Tai, you're over reacting.  Now eat.  You're going to be late for school."  Tai sighed and decided to actually eat this time, no matter how hard it seemed to do that.  After eating he looked at the clock.  School started at eight thirty and the clock read eight ten.  

"I'm gonna be late."  Tai stood up quickly and ran to the washroom, feet banging on the floor as he left, suddenly he felt something cling to his leg and he looked down the see the cat hugging the back of his leg with it's paws and biting it.   

"Ah!"  Tai shook his leg but the cat just sunk her claws further into his jeans.  He thanked God for not having him wear shorts today.  He bent down and pushed the cat away and he started, again, to walk quickly towards the washroom to brush his teeth.  Then again the cat jumped on him.  "Ah!"  _She thinks this is a game!_  _I'm gonna be late._  

He again pushed the cat away and looked at her as she stood a foot away.  Her eyes were wide and round, her head was held high, keeping her eyes on Tai's face while her back stayed down a bit low.  Tai stepped backwards, closer to the bathroom, her eyes stayed on Tai's… then he made a mistake… he blinked.  She jumped at him again and bit his leg.  

"Ah!"  He shouted again.  He crashed to the floor while she stayed biting him.  She didn't even come off when he tried pushing her away.  "Help!"  He shouted.  Mrs. Yagami and Kari came running out of Kari's and Tai's room.  At first they look concerned but upon seeing Tai's situation they started smiling.  

"Kari, get my camera.  Tai don't move."  His mom ordered as she laughed at seeing her older son being attacked by a kitten.  

"Thanks for the sympathy!"  He shouts; trying the push the cat away again with no prevail.  The picture was taken and the cat was removed.  Tai glared at it as he stood up and dusted myself off.  The cat just looked around with overly curious eyes.  "You know…" He says to the cat.  "Curiosity killed the cat… I'll make sure of that."  

"Tai, stop threatening Miko.  She was just playing."  Kari said.  Tai snorted but didn't say anything.  

_Scratch, scratch, scratch…_

Roll over.  Head under pillow.

_Scratch, scratch, scratch…_

Tai growled at the persistent kitten on the other side of this door.  The pillow wasn't helping drown the sound out at all.  In fact, he swore it was making that sound louder.  

_Scratch, scratch, scratch…_

"I want SLEEP!!!"  

"Tai, go to sleep!"  He heard his father shout from the other room.  He rolled over again and peaked his head out form under the pillow to look at the clock.  Miko had been scratching at his door for a half an hour and how Kari could sleep through it stayed a mystery to him.  

"Raroooo."  The cat let out a muffled, pathetic cry the reached Tai's ears as Tai sighed he thought.  _Bathroom._  Tai stood up and he walked quietly to the door, hoping the cat didn't hear him.  Then paused for a moment at his door… He yanked it open and lunging himself at where the cat usually sat but the cat was faster then him.  

Miko shot across the room and climbed up the couch.  She jumped to the coffee table, surprised by the smooth surface Miko couldn't jump again and just slid across it, knocking off the remote control and falling onto the carpet himself.  

Tai couldn't help but to smile at Miko's clumsiness.  It wasn't a mean smile but a genuine one that had a thought connected to it.  The thought being _that was cute._  Tai was caught off guard by his own analysis but had to agree with himself anyways.  _Okay, she's a cute, fluffy, feigned from hell.  _    

Tai walked back into his room and shut the door.  But instead of going to bed he stood behind the door waiting for Miko to start scratching again.  If he could just catch her…

He stood quietly, breathing as softly as he could, standing as motionless as he could he waited… and waited… and… waited.  It didn't' seem like she was coming back this time.  Tai just shrugged and walked back to bed slowly.  He crawled into bed and got comfortable.  

_Scratch, scratch, scratch…_

"Why me?"  Tai whispered.  

"Tai, can you do me a favour?  Can you clean out the litter box?"  Mrs. Yagami asked as she ran from room to room, grabbing things, as she went, getting ready to leave for an evening out with Mr. Yagami.  

"Why me?  Why not Kari?"  Tai pouted.  

"Because she's too young."

"But Maaaaaa…"

"No buts.  Just do it."  Tai huffed and stomped away.  Tai walked to a hallway attached to the living room.  He walked down it.  The hall leads to a laundry room where the kitty litter was.  

After reaching the laundry room Tai stood in front of a medium sized, low to the ground container filled with the litter.  Tai plugged his noise as he was offered the strong smell that came from it.  "Peeee- Uoooo.  I didn't know cats were supposed to smell this bad."  Tai knelt down beside it and grabbed at the semi-permeable scoop thing beside it.  Behind it were plastic grocery bags that he'd have to scoop the cat-waste into.  

Tai held his breath as he cautiously scooped through the sand like stuff inside the plastic box in front of him.  They smoky grey pebbles left through the holes in the scoop and left the stuff that Tai didn't want to think about.  He threw the stuff in the beg then realized he was running out of breath and he didn't want to smell the litter box again.  

Tai placed the scoop down and the bag and ran out of the laundry room and into the hall and started breathing in the clean air that he was gratefully surrounded in.  After regaining his breath he looked into the laundry room he realized he had to go back so he took a deep breath and ran back into the small room with the litter box ready to be cleaned.  

After about twenty minutes Tai had finished.  And was carrying the bag of litter out of the room, holding it a safe distance away from himself.  Upon entering the living room Kari said, "Tai, you just finished now?"  

"Well you try it some time!"  He snapped.  Kari shrugged and went back to watching the discovery channel.  

"Tai!"  Kari shouted out from the living room as Tai was trying to figure out where to put the bag.  

"What?"  He answered back.

"Did you know that cat's are nocturnal?  That they're sleeping hours are during the day."  

"Yeah."  Tai said dully as he remembered the tiresome way he found out.  "Miko's not exactly sleeping at night.  Where am I supposed to put this?"  Tai said.  

Kari turned around on her seat and looked at Tai, who was holding the bag at arms length at the entrance of the kitchen.  "Mom usually just takes it to the dumpster in the alley outside."  Kari informed.  Tai grumbled something about how nothing seemed to be easy and headed to the front door.  He slipped on his shoes and was about to open the door when Miko appeared out of nowhere and was standing, waiting for the door to open.

"No, Miko.  No.  You are not going outside."  She looked up at Tai with expectant and curious eyes, clearly not getting the message Tai had just sent.  "No.  Go Miko."  Tai took his foot and gently shoved her away from the door with it.  I opened the door fast and left equally as fast… but not before Miko got out.  "NO!!!"  He opened the door again and shouted, "Kari.  Miko just got out!"  

"What?!"  Kari practically jumped off the couch and ran to the door.  She looked down the hallway balcony to see Miko walking calmly towards the stairway.  Tai dropped the bag he had and ran after Miko, Kari just behind him.  They ran to the stairs and hurried down them.  Miko, hearing them come, went from walking to a run in less then a second.  

Tai and Kari pressed to go faster.  The sun was setting and they knew they had to get Miko back soon.  Tai started to jump two stairs at a time while Kari stressed to keep up but it wasn't so good since Kari had shorter legs.  Tai reached the bottom of the stair way in record time and just on time to see Miko start across the busy street.  Cars whizzed down the street while other cars swerved, nearly getting into an accident, when seeing the kitten in front of them.  

Tai was just about to run out into the road after Miko when he felt Kari grab his arm.  They both breathed a sigh in relief when Miko made it across the street safely if not a bit shaken.  Tai waited a moment for no cars to be passing in the lane in front of him before running to the center of the first and second lane.  He waited on the white line separating lanes for another opening and when it came he took it.  Eventually he got across too and looked back to see Kari running to a street light that was down the road a bit.  

Tai started running in the direction that he saw Miko go and ran.  It took him a few minutes of running to see Miko walking at a sedate pace through threes that were in a park a block from home.  Tai stopped running and started walking quietly towards Miko, hoping the cat won't hear him coming.  He had just a step more to go when Miko turned her head and caught site of Tai, starting again to run.  

Tai lunged forward to catch Miko but missed and landed on his face.  He didn't even wait to fully stand before he pushed off to a run again.  The cat kept turning in perfect ninety-degree angles and causing Tai to loose his footing while trying to catch her.  Miko ran forward and into a park.  

Miko ran under a swing while Tai jumped over it.  Miko ran under a kid's legs while Tai ran over him… "Sorry!"  He shouted back.  Miko ran through the park constantly being chased until finally he ran up a tree and Tai crashed into it… "Ow."  He says, rubbing his nose.  

Tai looked up and saw Miko lying on one of the branches half way up the tree.  Her tail was hanging off swaying back and forth; one of her paws was also hanging while her other front one was folded neatly under her.  

"Tai…" Tai turned around and saw Kari panting behind him.  "Don't tell me Miko's up there."  She pleaded.

"Then _what_ should I tell you?"  Tai fumed.  Kari groaned.  "It's alright.  I'll get him."  Tai looked at the tree trying to find the simpler way to get up. 

"Tai, you can't.  What if you fall and get hurt?  Miko will be fine but you won't be if you fall."  Kari didn't seem to have any effect on Tai at all.

"Don't worry.  I'll be fine."  He offered her a smile though he was doubting his safety as well.  Tai jumped up and grabbed onto a branch closest to the ground and struggled to pull himself up.  Kari made a strangled noise as she worried about her brother from below.  

Tai swung his leg over a branch and clung on as he saw that the branch seemed to be higher from the ground then it seemed before.  He gulped as he pushed his chest away from the branch.  He looked up at Miko as she looked at him, challenging him to go further.  At least that's how he saw it.  

He reached for another branch and clung onto it.  He struggled to get his legs steady as he stood on the first branch and ready to jump a bit for the other one.  As he leveled himself on the second branch he looked up at Miko who was sitting now instead of laying.  That meant she was about to move again.  

Quickening his pace, Tai pushed himself to a sitting position and grabbed another branch that was a bit higher then the one he was one and it was too his right.  He grabbed a thin branch above him and used it to help him stand, as he got ready to get on the branch to the right.  

He reached over to grab the new branch when he slipped.  His stomach hit the branch he was on and the air was knocked out of him.  He swung back and almost fell, Kari screamed, but Tai just managed to seize the branch he was on.  It scraped against his hands but he ignored it and pulled himself up again.  

This time he managed to get on that new branch but by this time Miko was bored of staying in the same place and started to hope down on the other side of the tree.  Tai growled at the cat, which just ignored him and he started to climb down to.  

Miko made it before him but Kari waited until her brother was safe.  When he landed on the ground he asked, "Where's Miko?"  Kari pointed to her left and Tai started to run again but Miko was long gone.  After a while of looking Kari and Tai decided to head back home fearing that something could have happened to that small kitten or that he won't ever come back.  

Back at the place Tai saw the bag of kitty litter.  He turns to his sister and said, "I still have to get rid of that."  She nods with out saying a word and walks into the empty apartment.  Tai picked up the bag and started carrying it, at his side, down the stairs.  He couldn't shake the feeling of sorrow that he felt knowing that anything could have happened to Miko.  

"Poor Miko.  Just a kitten… a baby…" He whispered to himself.  He was at the ground level of the building before he knew it and walked to the alley.  He heaved the bag into the dumpster and then turned back around.  It was dark, the sun long gone.  Three days and Miko was gone... forever.  He walked to the stairs.  "Three days… forever…" He said, yet again to himself.  Reaching the stairs he climbed them slowly.  His mind circling on Miko and what he could have done better.  

Finally he reached the top of the stairs and started down the hall… "Raroooo…" Tai froze.  He slowly… ever so slowly raised his head to look at the object the sound came from.  Miko… was sitting at their door, pawing and asking to be let it.  

The door opened and Kari shouts, "Miko?!"  Miko just casually walked in as if nothings happened.  Tai quickly walked to the door as Kari still stood there smiling at the small kitten.  Relief flooded Tai fast and he pushed Kari in and closed the door fast.  Miko walked up to Tai and nuzzled him in a sign of affection then he nuzzled Kari before looking for something to play with. 

"Lets never tell mom about this…" I whisper.  Kari nods.  

_Scratch, scratch, scratch…_

Roll over.  Put head under pillow.

_Scratch, scratch, scratch…_

"Darn Cat."  

~owari~


End file.
